Armor for ships, turrets, &amp;c.



PATBNTE D MAY 12, 1903.

C. P. E. SCHNEIDER.

ARMOR FOR SHIPS, TURRE TS, 6w.

APPLICATION rum MAY 13. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 12, 1903 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES PROSPER EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF LE CREUSOT, FRANCE.

ARMOR FOR SHIPS, TURRETS, aw.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 7,699, dated May1903- Application filed May 13, W02. Serial No.107,138. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES PROSPER EU- GENE SCHNEIDER, a resident of LeCreusot, Saone-et-Loire, France, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Armor forShips, Turrets, &c., which invention is fullyset forth in the following specification.

Hitherto armor for ships, turrets, and similar structures has beencomposed of metal plates of great thickness with the surface made ashard as possible. Vhether these plates have been manufactured fromunalloyed metal or from an alloy, hardened superficially by tempering,cementation, and temporing or other process, or whether they have beencomposed of several superposed plates of metals or alloys of variousdegrees of hardness assembled or welded together they behave in the samemanner when struck by a projectile-that is to say, the superficialstratum of the impact-surface when it is sufficiently hard breaks thepoint and even the ogival part of the projectile being itself reduced tofragments. If not stopped, the projectile continuing its progressthrough the softer and more ductile metal forming the body of the platecauses this metal to bulge beneath the hard skin and to break up intofragments which become detached around the point struck, leaving aconsiderable surface bare and Without a hard layer as a protectionagainst fresh attacks. Finally,the projectile, more or less injured byits contact with the hard surface, enters the more malleable portion ofthe armor, being supported on allsides by the metal which it displacesalmost symmetrically around it, thereby maintaining its integrity andconsequent efieotiveness. I have also found in practice that it isexceedingly difficult to manufacture sharply curved or bent armor-platesproperly hardened on the impact-surface. My invention obviates all thesedefects. It not only permits of producing armor-plates of greaterstrength or resistance than those hitherto manufactured, but at the sametime removes all dilficulties of manufacture and oflfixing.

According to my said invention I construct armor with a continuousbacking formed of metal plates of medium hardness, and to this backing Iscrew or otherwise attach a series of small impactpieces of greathardness, which I arrange in as close proximity to each other aspossible, at the same time leaving them independent of each other. Eachof these pieces therefore represents a small independent impact-surfaceof great hardness which can only communicate With the adjacentimpact-surfaces by means of the tinderlying backing. The first shock isreceived by only a very few of these impact-pieces, and each fragment ofthe broken projectile is only able in turn to strike one or at least avery few of them. I also obtain other advantages, which are hereinafterreferred to.

I will now proceed to describe various practical constructional forms ofthe said invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of an arinorplateconstructed in accordance with the said invention. Fig. 2 is asection,drawn 'to an enlarged scale, showing in elevation an isolatedimpact-piece. Fig. 3 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1, showing amodified form of the impactpieces. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on lineABof Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents another embodiment of the invention.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the armor consists of a backing a of non-cementedmetal, into which a series of impact-pieces b, in the form of disks orplates having a convex surface, are secured by means of a screw-threadedstem 0. These disks 1), of exceedingly hard metal, are arranged as nearto each other as possible without actually touching. The spaceorinterval to be left between the said disks is determined by the doublecondition of avoiding all connection or solidarity between the adjacentdisks, while at the same time obviating any possibility of theprojectile penetrating these intervals.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the armor consists of a backing a, in which theimpact-pieces b, in the form of parallelograms having a convex outersurface, are secured by means of screwthreaded stems o of the samemetal. Heads 0 on the stems engage in openings in the pieces andwithsaid pieces constituting impact plates or disks, the stems beingbeneath the plates or disks thus formed. The said parallelograms arepreferably arranged in the manner represented in the drawings-that is tosay, breaking joint in order to prevent the formation of long straightlines of least may also the form and dimensions of the resistance by theinterval separating the adjacent impact-pieces. The manner of fixing theimpact-pieces may vary in many ways, as

same.-

In Fig. 5 stems c are driven tightly into countersunk openings in thebacking, and impact-plates d are secured to the backing over said stemsby suitable means, such as screws 0.

A projectile encountering armor-plate thus constructed will strike atleast one of the disks or other impact-pieces, breaking against it andreducing the same to fragments, but without destroying adjacentimpact-pieces. The latter may be struck by fragments of the brokenprojectile and be themselves reduced to fragments after havingseparately resisted the passage of these fragments.

Besides the advantages already mentioned, the following may beconsidered as more especially relating to the manufacture and mountingof the armor:

First. Owing to the small dimensions of the impact-pieces, any desireddegree of hardness may be imparted to them by manufacturing themdirectly from suitable metal, which may be different from that of thebacking a. In this manner the difficulties of tempering and cementationareavoided, which is an important consideration in the case of a largeplate. Second. The backing a and the hard disks or other pieces fixedafter shaping may readily be made to conform to the theoretical profilesof armored vessels. The said impactpieces may also be applied tosharply-curved plates, which it is impossible to manufacture of cementedmetal.

'lhird. It is possible to furnish armorplates already in use, withoutdismounting them, with a hard and efficient protection.

Thus I provide for armor-plates a hard and subdivided artificialcovering Without having recourse to cementation. Furthermore, the stemsof the said covering, far from Weakening the backing, reinforce it-thatis to say, they constitute in its mass portions whichinterrupt thecontinuity and which thus deaden the effects produced by the penetrationof the projectile or of its fragments and cause them to deviate fromtheir path if penetration occurs. They also prevent the bulging of themetal by the projectile.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is 1. Armor for ships, turrets or other structures,consisting of a metallic hacking, metallic impact plates or disksbearing against the outer'surface of the backing and disposed closelytogether but independently of each other, said plates being of greaterhardness than the backing and constituting a subdivided impact-surfacefor the armor, and metallic stems beneath the impact plates or disks ofgreater hardness. than the backing l and engaging in sockets or openingspassing only partly through the backing.

2. Armor for ships, turrets or other structures, consisting of ametallic backing, metallic impact plates or disks bearing against theouter surface of the backing and disposed closely together butindependently of each other, stems beneath the plates or disks andintegral therewith engaging in sockets or openings passing only partlythrough the backing, said plates or disks and stems being of greaterhardness than the backing.

3. Armor for ships, turrets or other structures, consisting of ametallic backing, metallic impact plates or disks disposed independentlyof each other at the outer surface of the backing said plates or disksbeing of greater hardness than the backing and constituting a subdividedimpact-surface for the armor, and means securing the impact plates ordisks in place consisting of screw-threaded stems beneath the impactplates or disks of greater hardness than the backing and engaging inscrew-threaded sockets or openings passing only partly through thebacking.

4. Armor for ships, turrets or other structures, consisting of ametallic backing, metallic impact plates ordisks disposed independentlyof each other at the outer surface of the backing and constituting asubdivided impact-surface for the armor, screw-threaded stems formedintegral with the plates or disks and engaging in screwthreaded socketsor openings passing only partly through the backing, said plates ordisks and stems being of greater hardness than the hacking.

5. Armor for ships, turrets or other structures, consisting of ametallic backing, metallicimpact plates ordisks bearing against theouter surface of the backing and disposed closely together butindependently of each other, said plates or disks being of greater,

hardness than the backing and constituting a subdivided impact-surfacefor the armor, and screw-threaded metallic stems beneath the impactplates or disks of greater hardness than the backing and engagiug'inscrewthreaded sockets or openings passing only partly through thebacking.

6. Armor for ships, turrets or other structures, consisting of ametallic backing, metallic impact plates or disks bearing against theouter surface of the backing and disposed closely together butindependently of each other, screw-threaded stems formed integral withthe plates or disks and engagingin screwthreaded sockets or openingspassing only partly through the backing, said disks or plates and stemsbeing of greater hardness than the backing.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES PROSPER EUGENE SCHNEIDER.

Witnesses:

JEAN GAMET, EDMOND BLAISE.

